Australia

@MorpheusB @zero_gravitas I generally prefer human-served checkouts. But Aldi closest to me, in busy shopping centre, has the worst checkouts I’ve encountered anywhere. So slow. Plus when you’re in a queue, an announcement will come, “Checkout number whatever is closing, go to another,” and everyone shuffles over and enrages people in that queue. My blood pressure is quite high enough without that.

I can go either way, however I do prefer self-serve if I am in a hurry and only have a few things. That said, the sluggishness of the Woolworths ones, and the Twenty Questions whenever I try to use them (and the inference from them that I am a thief) means that I will go to the service desk instead.

The friendliness of other Aldi customers is also refreshing. I have had other customers wave me through because i only have a couple of things; I usually buy a few Chupa Chups when I am checking out for those other customers, as a thankyou.

Safeway and Coles customers are typically more self-absorbed and militant about the queue.